Gieffroy de Blois

Gieffroy de Blois (1061-) was a nobleman of the Kingdom of France. He took part in the First Crusade against Jerusalem in 1098, a dutifully religious man who was also cruel and cunning. Blois was a siege expert, helping in his conquests of Jerusalem and Damascus.

Biography
Gieffroy de Blois was born to the House of Blois, the rulers of the County of Blois to the south of Paris in the present-day Champagne region. He was adopted by Prince Louis, the son of King Philip I of France, in 1084 because of his skills as a general as well as due to his management skills.

In 1096, Blois was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, participating in the drive eastwards against the city of Jerusalem. He fought the Fatimid Caliphate, the Seljuk Empire, and Arab rebels, and conquered Jerusalem in 1099. Blois was also responsible for the campaigns against the Saracen stronghold of Damascus, fighting against the Arab rebels of the city. Blois was the victor of the campaign, capturing the bastion of Arab resistance to the crusaders.